The invention relates to agricultural seed planters and drills, and more particularly to seed planters and drills that include apparatus adapted to properly place seeds in a seed furrow and further include liquid distribution apparatus for distributing liquids within the seed furrow.
Agricultural seed planting is typically accomplished by multi-row planters and drills. Each planter and drill comprise a plurality of row units adapted for opening a seed furrow, depositing seeds within the furrow, and closing the seed furrow around the seeds.
The placement of the seeds in the furrow greatly effects the growth characteristics of the plants. The seeds are deposited in the seed furrow through a seed tube attached to the row unit. The seed tube is designed to deposit the seeds in the bottom of the furrow. However, as the seeds descend through the seed tube, they are prone to bouncing, which ultimately affects where the seeds lie in the furrow. In addition, the seeds may bounce off the soil when they land in the furrow, which also affects where the seeds lie in the furrow. To properly place the seeds in the bottom of the furrow an extension may be fixed to the seed tube to properly direct the seeds into the vertex of the furrow.
In addition to properly placing the seeds in the vertex of the furrow, it is oftentimes also desirable to provide various liquids in the furrow along with the seeds to facilitate plant growth and the ultimate crop yield. The liquids included in the furrow may be liquid fertilizers, liquid insecticides, liquid starters, inoculants, and water. However, problems can arise when providing liquid directly into the furrow along with the seeds. Drenching the seed in fertilizer may result in burning the seed which has a negative impact on plant growth and the ultimate crop yield. Accordingly, it is desirable to place liquids in the furrow along with the seeds without drenching seeds. Numerous benefits are derived from in-furrow liquid distribution, such as maximizing the effectiveness of the liquid introduced into the furrow, reducing the volume of a particular liquid required to achieve a desired effect, and minimizing the time required for a particular liquid to effect the seed.
Liquid fertilizer placement disks may be added to the planter row units for placing liquid in a separate trench next to the seed furrow. The liquid fertilizer placement disks create a trench about 2 inches to the side of the seed furrow and about two inches deep and deposit liquid into the trench, which is commonly referred to as 2xc3x972 fertilizer application. The liquid fertilizer disks, however, are very expensive, require large amounts of fertilizer because of the remote location from the seeds, and do not provide for in-furrow distribution of liquid.
Referring to FIGS. A-E, a KEETON SIDE SHOOTER(trademark) in-furrow liquid dispensing device is illustrated, the side shooter connected with a KEETON SEED FIRMER(trademark). The seed firmer is adapted to press seeds into the seed furrow as shown in FIG. A. The side shooter includes a diverter, which is shown in FIG. D and shown in section in FIG. F, plugged into a hose running along the length of the seed firmer. The diverter defines a first liquid diversion channel and a second liquid diversion channel for diverting liquid adjacent the seeds embedded in the furrow by the seed firmer as shown in FIG. B. Referring to FIGS. F-G, a liquid dispensing device as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,274 is shown connected with a Keeton Seed Firmer.
There are several potential disadvantages and problems with the liquid dispensing devices illustrated in FIGS. A-G. One potential problem is that these liquid dispensing devices have small diameter openings for the liquids to pass through. For example, the liquid diversion channels of the side shooter diverter are about {fraction (1/16)}xe2x80x3 diameter outlets. Heavier fertilizers in some instances do not flow evenly from these small diameter outlets. Additionally, when used with heavy materials such as fertilizer that require a larger opening to pass through, these devices may plug-up and stop the flow of material. When plugging occurs, inadequate amounts of product will be placed in the furrow by the plugged lines.
Another problem is that to avoid plugging, the liquid must be diluted with water. For heavy liquid fertilizers, it has been found that the side shooter in some instances functions most efficiently if the liquid fertilizer is diluted so that the fertilizer flows evenly and without plugging. Diluting the fertilizer, however, causes problems for the application because to obtain the appropriate amount of liquid in the furrow a greater volume of liquid (fertilizer diluted with water) has to be delivered into the furrow through the smaller holes in the delivery system. The greater volume of liquid in the furrow additionally produces wetness in the furrow that can cause the press wheels to build up with mud, which, in turn, leads to closing problems with the press wheels.
Another important consideration is location-just where in the furrow the liquid is placed. The devices illustrated in FIGS. A-G in some instances distribute liquid on the seeds, or oftentimes within xc2xcxe2x80x3 on each side of the seeds in the furrow. Accordingly, the seeds are many times drenched in liquid, or the liquid is within from about xe2x85x9xe2x80x3 to about xc2xcxe2x80x3 of the seed. Besides the unwanted effects caused by drenching the seeds in some liquids, putting any fertilizer in such close proximity to the seed, especially in drier soil, draws the moisture out of the soil around it, pulling it in close to the seed. The concentration of liquid adjacent the seed may cause it to germinate more quickly than it would have under normal conditions, and early growth may be accelerated. If dry soil conditions persist, then the seed may run out of moisture for the tap root and nodule roots to pick up, which may stunt the growth of the emerging crop and in some instances result in the death of the crop.
It is to overcome the problems that arise when seeds are directly immersed in various liquids and the cost and effectiveness of other devices that may be used to introduce liquids into a furrow that the present invention and its various embodiments were developed.
There are some instances, however, when it is preferable to distribute liquids such as fertilizer directly on the seeds in the furrow, as is achieved with a single hose device used to distribute liquid directly unto the seeds in the furrow. Accordingly, it was recognized that it would be desirable to provide a single device that may distribute liquid in the furrow without drenching the seeds, and have the same device be convertible to also distribute fertilizer directly on the seeds, as needs dictate. This convertible embodiment of the present invention would have the benefit of allowing farmers to quickly reconfigure the device from, for example, a seed drenching configuration to an in-furrow liquid distribution that does not drench the seeds.
The liquid distribution apparatus of the present invention is for use with a planter, drill or other farm implement. The liquid distribution apparatus may be connected directly with the farm implement or connected with an extension for reducing seed bounce that, in one example, extends rearwardly from the seed tube to properly place seeds in a seed furrow having a centrally located bottom portion and upwardly and outwardly extending opposing sidewalls.
The liquid distribution apparatus includes a supply channel adapted to fluidly connect to the liquid supply hose. Preferably, the supply channel is a tubular structure including a ribbed portion that fluidly engages the liquid supply hose.
The liquid distribution apparatus also includes a distribution channel in fluid connection with the supply channel. The distribution channel includes at least one outlet angularly oriented with respect to the supply channel. In one example, the distribution channel includes two tubular outlets in a Y-shaped configuration with respect to the supply channel wherein the two tubular outlets are oriented to distribute liquid on opposing sidewalls of the furrow. Preferably, the outlets are about xe2x85x9xe2x80x3 in diameter and distribute liquid more than about xc2xdxe2x80x3 above the seeds in the bottom portion of the furrow. In another example, the distribution channel includes three outlets, preferably tubular, in a "psgr"-shaped configuration, the first outlet and the second outlet are oriented to distribute the liquid on the sidewalls of the furrow, and the third outlet is oriented to distribute liquid in the centrally located bottom portion of the furrow.
One embodiment of the present invention, has dispensing outlets of about xe2x85x9xe2x80x3 diameter, which allows heavier fertilizers to flow evenly from the outlets and not be restricted. Maximum flow through a xe2x85x9xe2x80x3 opening is about 16 to 18 gallons per acre. Currently, many liquid fertilizer suppliers suggest distributing about 7 to 12 gallons per acre of liquid fertilizer in the furrow.
A liquid distribution of only about 4 to 4.5 gallons per acre is likely with small diameter outlets such as {fraction (1/16)}xe2x80x3. Many crops need that much to produce the maximum yield in any one year. Being limited on the quantity that can be applied with the devices illustrated in FIGS. A-G, farmers have to add expensive liquid discs to the planter/drill or broadcast the extra quantity.
In contrast to the various devices discussed in the Background, some embodiments of the present invention distribute liquids such as fertilizer and insecticides about xc2xd and higher above the vertex of the furrow where it is integrated in the soil without directly contacting or drenching the seeds in the vertex of the furrow. Preferably, some embodiments of the present invention distribute liquid from about xc2xd to about xc2xexe2x80x3 above the seeds in the vertex of the furrow. Accordingly, in the case of liquid fertilizers, the concentration of fertilizer around the seed is diluted and will not trigger untimely germination in drier soils. The same is true when liquids are put in-furrow in lighter textured soils (e.g., sandy loam). Throughout the U.S. any field can differ in soil type from one end to another. In sandy loam soils it is considered desirable by some farmers to distribute the fertilizer further up the sidewalls of the furrow, or seed V. In heavier textured clay-based soils, the fertilizer may be placed slightly closer to the seed, but, in the case of some liquids such as insecticide, it is still preferable to not drench the seed. If the condition of having different soil types within the same field exists, embodiments of the present invention may be used because liquid is distributed further up the sidewall, and the concentration is soaked up into the soil rather than bathing the seed.
With regard to bean seeds, fertilizing is more precarious than corn since the outer coating of the bean seed is very thin. This makes it very susceptible to injury, and the salt content of starter fertilizer can be devastating to bean seeds. Embodiments of the present invention having an extension with a liquid distribution apparatus, however, may be used to place liquid fertilizer in the furrow with such seeds due to the combined advantages of being able to focus the seeds in the vertex of the furrow, and distribute liquid far enough up on the sidewalls to not drench the seed.
The foregoing and other features, utilities and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.